Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-18
SERVITUDE OF SIN.
An Interesting ana Instructive
Sermon by Father FBarneft.

SERMON Dy EatncF EbaFmefts
There was large attendance yes
terday morning at the Cathedral, tc
hear the eloquent sermon delivered by
Rev. p. Harnett on "The Servitude OF
SIM" "The life Of man on earth, y
said the speaker, "is continual war
fare. If you wish to know your OWL
position in the warfare OF life, you
must refer to st. Paul in his epistle to
the Romans. In it he points out
clearly that we are not the command.
ers of life, but rather the commanded
OF the armies of life one is opposed
to the other, and there are only two.
They are as much opposed to each
other as evil is to good; light to dark
ness or a storm to calm. To explain
this antagonism it is sufficient to say
that the commander of one army is
God and sin the commander of the
other. Let not, therefore, sin reign
in your mortal bodies That
God is the commander of the
opposing army is clear likewise in the
words of st. Paul in his epistle to the
Romans present yourselves to God
as those that are alive to the dead and
your members as instruments of JUS
tice unto God" We are not simply
soldiers, but even servants; and this
is proved from the fact that St. Paul
says, "KnOw you not that to whom
you yield yourselves, servants to obey,
his servants you are, whom you obey,
whether it be of sin unto death or of
obedience unto justice ?" The servitude
of men unto sin is likened unto the
servitude of the Hebrews of old. OF
all men there are none so miserable
no one so unhappy as the slave of sin
for in what does this happiness consist ?
1t will perhaps be said in the enjoyment
of riches, of pleasures and of honors.
How can man be happy who has ac-
quired wealth by unjust means? How
can man rest easy who deprives the
laborer of his hire, or commits crime
which cries to heaven for vengeance
How can IA man be content who
swindles the poor of their aims? There
is as great an obligation of giving aims
as our circumstances will permit as
there is of performing any other work
which God enjoins. 1t may be said
that we know persons who have
amassed wealth by unjust means
and their enjoyment of them appears
secured treasures by industry. Who
can see the heart? Oftentimes be-
meath the silken garment lies broken
heart. Oftentimes beneath calm
exterior there exists an interior turbu-
lent as the waves of a stormy ocean.
In vain therefore will we say that
riches unjustly acquired bring with
them real pleasures especially since
we know that the judgments of God are
right and that no one can enter into
heaven until he pays the lost some
thing. What is said of riches is
equally applicable to pleasures and
honors unjustly acquired. 81 must
not be misunderstood" said the priest
"of condeming wealth properly OBJ
tanned or OF undertaking harmful
pleasures or of debarring any one
from attaining the highest position in
the land. The idea which | wish to
inculcate is that riches, pleasures and
honors having their service in sin
deprives us of real happiness and
almost prevents us from enjoying the
liberty which God has given us. In
inculcating this idea / would ask, dc
pleasures begotten of sin bring with
them real happiness" ?" As an exam
pie take one who in her youth gives
herself up to a life of shame. 1t is
true that she may derive from sin
sensual qualification. 1t is perhaps
true she may obtain pleasure
by being afforded the means of being
respectfully dressed, but these pleas.
ures will not be permanent. In as
short time the miserable dupe OF sin
will perceive that pleasure is not to be
found where it was expected and that
the qualification afforded by self-in-
diligence is no equivalent for the
troubles that ensue. 1t may be claimed
that such persons continue in this
wretched career and that therefore
sin affords them pleasure. They are
so, not because of the love they have
for wicked life, but because they are
in a servitude of sin. The difficulties
apparently to be encountered serve as
a bandage to blindfold them and crop
ing in the dark they continue in then
wicked course until their career by the
horrible crime of suicide, or become
the victim OF the assassin's knife,
bringing them face to face with God
The drunkard sees his wretched con
dition; observes himself despised by
his associates; his property squand
cred; his wife and children crying il
vain for bread, but will these consid
erations urge him to abandon the ser
vitude of sin? Not even the face o
death or hell itself furnishes motive
strong enough to induce him to aban
don his wicked life.